MCAL Football Power Rankings — Week 10

There were only a couple games last weekend, so, accordingly, there isn’t too much movement in the power rankings. There are some interesting games this coming weekend, though, with several teams needing wins to get into the playoffs.
1. Marin Catholic (9-0, 6-0)
MC had the bye last week and clinched the MCAL title thanks to a San Rafael forfeit against Terra Linda. Pretty anticlimactic. Oh well, they were going to win it anyways. The only suspense now is whether MC will tie Novato’s record for fewest points allowed in an MCAL season with a shutout against Redwood. At this point, the Wildcats appear the odds-on favorites to win NCS and get a state-bowl bid, too.
2. San Rafael (8-1, 4-1)
The Bulldogs were forced to take a forfeit loss in what would have been the Bell Game against Terra Linda. Too bad. Not to say the suspensions were not deserved, but it would have been very interesting to see two undefeated MCAL teams for what I have to think would’ve been the first time ever. San Rafael needs an emphatic win over Justin-Siena on Friday to help its NCS case.
3. San Marin (6-3, 4-2)
The Mustangs beat Novato two weeks ago, which leads me to believe they would have also defeated Redwood this past week if the Giants were not forced to forfeit due to the scrum with San Rafael. San Marin does not do anything amazing, but the Mustangs have reached a point where they do everything just well enough to win more often than not, at least in MCAL. They are probably assured of a playoff spot now, but a win against Tam would cement them.
4. Novato (4-5, 4-2)
The Hornets probably need a win against Terra Linda to sneak into NCS. Who would have thought that it would come down to this at the beginning of the season?
5. Redwood (5-4, 3-3)
The Giants have lost three games in a row, the last by way of forfeit, and they should lose to MC on Saturday as well. They’ll be hard-pressed to make the NCS D-II playoffs. Too bad considering the Giants have played very well at times this season. That forfeit really, really hurt Redwood.
6. Tam (5-4, 2-4)
Considered out of the playoff race a few weeks ago, the Red-tailed Hawks pulled out wins against Terra Linda and Justin-Siena to clinch playoff eligibility. However, Tam’s non-league schedule was so weak, it will likely need to upset San Marin on Saturday to reach the postseason. That’s not out of the realm of possibility. The Hawks have shown they are decent against both the run and the pass, and the Mustangs are not particularly great at either one. The difference will be if Tam is able to move the ball at all on offense.
7. Terra Linda (4-5, 3-3)
The Trojans were the benefactors of San Rafael’s forfeit, which kept their playoff hopes alive another week. TL definitely needs to beat Novato to get in. The loss against Tam a few weeks back was critical for the Trojans.
8. Justin-Siena (1-8, 1-5)
The Braves run the ball very well out of the option, but they are mistake-prone and have not played consistently in any facet of the game, according to coach Rich Cotruvo. They’re young, so next year I expect them to vault up the standings and be in the top half of the league, considering the success the program has had over the last decade.
9. Drake (1-9, 0-7)
The Pirates have their bye in the last week of the season. Good thing, because players were dropping like flies at the end there. The guys that were left played hard, but they were simply outmatched. One player who should receive some recognition is Ross MacAusland, a wideout who might have been the best receiver in the county this season. He went out with a bang last week, catching two touchdowns and accumulating nearly 200 yards receiving against Novato.